Ear Training
Ear training is an integral component of our musical studies. In ear training we are developing our inner ear, the ability to accurately hear and identify musical elements in our head while reading, listening to, and thinking about music. Conservatories, colleges and universities usually require students to take ear training courses as part of their music programs.
Some musicians develop what is called perfect pitch: the ability to accurately hear and identify pitches by name instantaneously. This skill seems to develop naturally especially with piano and string players who start their practice around the age of five or six, but for students that start music later in life, perfect pitch is an extremely difficult skill to learn.
Instead, most musicians develop their relative pitch. Relative pitch is our ability to discern the relative distance between notes, as well as the quality of different types of musical elements like scales and chords. Any music student can train their relative pitch. In fact, anyone who listens to music and can hear the difference between higher and lower notes, has relative pitch – that is to say, everyone.If you wanted to get started training your relative pitch, a powerful but simple technique is to simply start singing back what you hear.
The study and practice of ear training develops our musicianship. We begin to build an active understanding of the music we listen to and produce. We can learn new music faster as we start to recognize and anticipate its different elements. If we are interested in writing music, the more sophisticated our understanding of musical sounds, the easier it is to translate our ideas to the score.
Training our relative pitch takes time and patience. It tends to develop as our other musical skills develop. A long term project for sure, but a very rewarding one.
Some musicians develop what is called perfect pitch: the ability to accurately hear and identify pitches by name instantaneously. This skill seems to develop naturally especially with piano and string players who start their practice around the age of five or six, but for students that start music later in life, perfect pitch is an extremely difficult skill to learn.
Instead, most musicians develop their relative pitch. Relative pitch is our ability to discern the relative distance between notes, as well as the quality of different types of musical elements like scales and chords. Any music student can train their relative pitch. In fact, anyone who listens to music and can hear the difference between higher and lower notes, has relative pitch – that is to say, everyone.If you wanted to get started training your relative pitch, a powerful but simple technique is to simply start singing back what you hear.
The study and practice of ear training develops our musicianship. We begin to build an active understanding of the music we listen to and produce. We can learn new music faster as we start to recognize and anticipate its different elements. If we are interested in writing music, the more sophisticated our understanding of musical sounds, the easier it is to translate our ideas to the score.
Training our relative pitch takes time and patience. It tends to develop as our other musical skills develop. A long term project for sure, but a very rewarding one.
Click here to access online ear training activities. Be sure to sign up to the RCM first.
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